Definitions for prokaryoteproʊˈkær iˌoʊt, -i ət

Here are all the possible meanings and translations of the word prokaryote.

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prokaryote, procaryote(noun)

a unicellular organism having cells lacking membrane-bound nuclei; bacteria are the prime example but also included are blue-green algae and actinomycetes and mycoplasma

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prokaryote(Noun)

An organism characterized by the absence of a nucleus or any other membrane-bound organelles.

prokaryote(Noun)

In the two-empire system of biological taxonomy, an organism of the kingdom Prokaryotae (now superseded).

Origin: From pro- + κάρυον + -ote.

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Prokaryote

The prokaryotes are a group of organisms whose cells lack a membrane-bound nucleus. The organisms whose cells do have a nucleus are called eukaryotes. Most prokaryotes are unicellular organisms, although a few such as myxobacteria have multicellular stages in their life cycles or create large colonies like cyanobacteria. The word prokaryote comes from the Greek πρό- "before" and καρυόν "nut or kernel". Prokaryotes do not have a nucleus, mitochondria, or any other membrane-bound organelles. In other words, all their intracellular water-soluble components are located together in the same area enclosed by cell membrane, rather than separated in different cellular compartments.
The division to prokaryotes and eukaryotes reflects two distinct levels of cellular organization rather than biological classification of species. Prokaryotes include two major classification domains: the bacteria and the archaea. Archaea were recognized as a domain of life in 1990. These organisms were originally thought to live only in inhospitable conditions such as extremes of temperature, pH, and radiation but have since been found in all types of habitats.